Woodbine: Making Amends looks to rebound in Queenston

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse will be busy Saturday at Churchill Downs, where he saddles Prospective in the Kentucky Derby, but he will have an eye toward Woodbine when he runs Making Amends in the $150,000 Queenston Stakes. The seven-furlong event, which is a stepping-stone toward the June 24 Queen’s Plate, has lured seven other Ontario-bred 3-year-olds.

Making Amends is winless in seven starts since his closing debut score over Jenna’s Wabbit in the July 3 Clarendon Stakes. Following a winter break, he finished a wide second in the OBS Sprint Stakes in Ocala, Fla.

Most recently here in the six-furlong Woodstock Stakes, Making Amends never threatened while checking in sixth, but then galloped out in front of the field under Patrick Husbands.

“We were expecting a big race from him,” Casse said. “Patrick said he wouldn’t run when the Poly hit him. He couldn’t get him going, and then afterwards, he took off. He thought I’d be upset, so he called me right after to tell me not to get down on the horse. I thought the Ocala race was a great comeback, and it might have been too good. It may have taken something out of him. Maybe, he bounced a little.”

Casse said Making Amends has been an underachiever who should handle a route of ground.

“He trains as good as any good horse I’ve ever had,” Casse explained. “I think he just hasn’t gotten his act together. He acts like he wants to run on.”

Eurico Da Silva inherits the mount on Making Amends from Husbands, who is sticking with Beeker Street.

Beeker Street was a fairly impressive debut winner April 15, when he notched a seven-furlong maiden special comfortably as the favorite. He registered an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for covering the distance in 1:21.83.

Dead On appears to be coming around. He got the winter off after running seventh in the Coronation Futurity and was a second under Robby Albarado when he came off the shelf in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at Fair Grounds.

Trainer Malcolm Pierce was thrilled with Dead On’s season opener.

“I thought it was a great race,” Pierce said. “It was kind of an experiment, running on the dirt. Albarado quite liked him. He ran pretty hard, so I gave him a couple more weeks between his races. I hate to shorten him up, but [the Queenston] is restricted to Ontario-breds.”

Menlo Castle was third in the Woodstock, in his first outing since a runner-up placing behind future Canadian champion 2-year-old Maritimer in the Nov. 27 Display Stakes.

Fastestwhogetspaid finished up the track last time after a troubled trip in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.